Liver Spots on Your Hands?

Large brown spots on the back of the hands are caused by the aging effects of climate. These spots are often first noticed on the arms and hands, then the face. They also appear, occasionally, on the chest, back, and less frequently on the legs and torso. Called liver spots, but also known as age spots, brown spots, lentigo, and lipofuscin pigment, they particularly affect fair-skinned people who have spent much of their lives in the sun.

Liver spots are a result of your skin trying to protect itself from sun exposure by producing an overabundance of melanin. Melanin is the pigment in your skin responsible for “splotchy” or uneven tanning.

For cosmetic reasons, liver spots can be lightened with skin-bleaching products or removed by freezing with liquid nitrogen (cryotherapy).

If the spots appear on the hands before old age, you should not try to remove them with bleaches or creams. They should be examined by a doctor, as in rare instances they could be malignant.